New Reviews: Children

Big Panda's soothing voice as delivered by Jason Isaacs would calm the most agitated child (or adult). Isaacs creates a sharp contrast when he performs Tiny Dragon's voice with a bit of nervousness. Listeners will appreciate the Zen-like tone of Big Panda, who soothes his little friend as they take a journey through the seasons. While traveling, they discuss the world and... Read More

Listeners will find author/narrator Carmen Agra Deedy's retelling of this folktale a delightful treat. Upbeat Caribbean music introduces listeners to the beautiful but gluttonous feline, Carina. She goes around town hilariously eating whatever she wants: crackers, a florist, a bride, and a boy. However, she meets her match when a pair of crabs help everyone escape her belly.... Read More

Narrator Kristine Hvam uses a lively yet laid-back tone for this Covid-era story. Listeners meet 13-year-old Coyote, who is furious that her dad hid her mother's ashes for six years. After finally settling down in one place, the feisty and determined Coyote still longs for her mom. She is further angered to learn that the poetry book containing her mother's notes about her... Read More

Narrators Dion Graham and Mychal-Bella Bowman's grand and lively performances will have young listeners eager to hear every story in this vibrant collection of African- and African-American-inspired tales. Graham creates imaginative and outsized voices for the stories he leads. He excels at portraying heroic and mischievous animals like a greedy baboon and a trickster spider.... Read More

Narrator Cailin Kelly establishes a youthful voice for 12-year-old Tully, who is determined to complete a marathon swim on Lake Tahoe. Kelly captures Tully's tumultuous emotions as she reflects on her past relationship with her mom, also a swimmer, who left her. Now she must learn to face the truth that her mom may not return and appreciate the support that she has from her... Read More

In apprehensive tones, André Santana artfully conveys the concerns of tween Eli as he mourns the sudden loss of his mother, a professional chef, due to the pandemic. At the same time, he is adjusting to life in New York City after a move from Minnesota. When Eli stumbles upon an archive of cooking videos made by his mother, Santana taps into Eli's grief with a falling... Read More

English American actor Moira Quirk narrates the experiences of 10 young women who were all involved in some fashion in British code-breaking efforts during WWII. Each figure represents one facet of the mammoth project, which encompassed decrypting the Nazis' famed Enigma cipher, transcribing and indexing messages, monitoring radio transmissions, and more. Excerpts from journals... Read More

Ramón de Ocampo offers a charming performance of this middle-grade fiction with a touch of science fiction. Michael and his crush, Gibby, run into Ridge, a strange boy who soon reveals he's visiting from the future. The year is 1999, and with the threat of Y2K brewing, the kids come together and bond through their doomsday planning. De Ocampo's flexible narration moves between... Read More

A full cast of narrators delivers the story of sixth-grade student Rex as he struggles to fit in with his peers and challenges keep cropping up along the way. Narrator Benjamin Valic expresses Rex's deep emotions when he discovers that he'll need glasses and then faces the problem of being able to afford them. Narrator Krizia Bajos establishes a passionate voice for Rex's mom... Read More

Josephine Huang and Cassandra Morris join forces to deliver the captivating story of best friends in this exceptional middle-grade audiobook. Helen, voiced by Huang, and Gracie, portrayed by Morris, are known for their mischievous antics. Their latest escapade leads them to join the Community Action Club, currently dedicated to promoting period equity. Morris's dynamic... Read More

Nanako Vera Mizushima strikes just the right notes in her narration of this gentle tale of magic and healing in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Amid the chaos, Yui, who is fleeing an abusive husband, and Hiyori, an orphan uprooted from her home, are taken in by a kindly old woman named Ob chan, who is no ordinary granny. Translator Udagawa leaves intact... Read More

Jane Yolen's poems, delivered by Cassandra Campbell, celebrate relatable childhood experiences with nature, school, and sports. Short musical interludes group thematically related works together. Campbell's clear voice matches the mood of the whimsical and wistful lines. The audio is perfect for inspiration in English class or for short car rides to school. It lets listeners... Read More

Author and narrator Antwan Eady creates a tender first-person story of a boy who helps his Papa harvest, transport, and sell goods at his local farm stand each weekend. Eady speaks slowly and clearly in the cadence of poetry. His lengthy pauses often serve to highlight the colorful imagery and alliteration found in the community--black hands, gray hair, yellow sun, white eggs,... Read More

In this rich middle-grade mystery, narrators Nora Hunter and Pete Cross offer excellent performances that will appeal to a wide audience. Weatherby is elated when she receives a scholarship to Boston School, an exclusive private academy. But once there, she butts heads with Jack, the son of a generous alumnus. They're both selected to be candidates for the school's secret... Read More

Gary Tiedemann and Greta Jung deftly portray the 13 middle schoolers with unique superpowers featured in these stories written by some of today's most popular authors. The diverse characters express themes of self-discovery and empathy, and the narrators fully embrace each role. Tiedemann, as Maximiliano, candidly describes time-jumping randomly into the bodies of others. Then... Read More

Jeff Ebner deftly presents this autobiographical story of Jake, who suffers from multiple maladies, including anorexia. Listeners meet the once vibrant 13-year-old, who loves musicals and volunteers to read to nursing home residents--until he hears a vicious inner voice telling him he's worthless and must stop eating. Compellingly rendered chapters convey Jake's experience with... Read More

Author Natalia Sylvester narrates her story in a warm and joyful tone. Abuela travels from South America to the U.S. to visit her family. Her granddaughter, Dulce, is fascinated by everything Abuela has brought in her suitcase (maleta), including treats and presents. Dulce relishes her time with Abuela and when Abulea has to go home, Dulce makes sure Abuela has treasures for... Read More

Allison Aguilar's performance offers this engaging coming-of-age story plenty of heart, spunk, and power. Mani is devastated that her mother has planned a surprise trip to Guatemala that will tear her away from her friends for the entire summer. But when she learns about the disappearances of Guatemalan women, Mani is determined to fight for what's right in her community. Mani... Read More

Gilli Messer conveys 12-year-old Miri's horror as the Nazis who occupy Paris threaten her Jewish family and friends. Miri's terror increases when she is separated from her parents and decides she must flee the citywide roundup of Jews with her 2-year-old neighbor, Nora. Messer convincingly portrays a kindly nun who relocates Miri to a girls' convent school in Chenonceau, a... Read More

A charming story and two narrators exuding energy and warmth knock it out of the park. Simon Vance is Olivetti, a typewriter who breaks the "typewriterly" code of silence to spill his tapestry of tales in order to find his missing owner. Vance brings a gentle, snarky tone to Olivetti as he dismisses books as "one-hit wonders" and the laptop as "a show-off," delivering his... Read More

At the start of this fantasy/mystery narrated by Nikki Massoud, teenager Marjan's father, a veterinarian, has recently been murdered. Marjan soon discovers that she is now the only remaining member of an ancient family with a gift for working with mythological creatures. As she investigates her father's murder and provides veterinary services for magical animals, she is forced... Read More

Dion Graham's performance will delight young listeners. A boy named Lucas comes home from school with a perfect score on his robot test. At home, however, life is not perfect--his dad's truck breaks down, orange juice is spilled on the floor, his mom works long hours, and the lights get cut off. That night, he dreams about a perfect place where perfect people live. But the... Read More

Tavia Gilbert brings the denizens of Milkweed Meadow to listeners' ears in this middle-grade animal fantasy. Butternut the rabbit comes from a family of storytellers, so she is well suited to tell the tale of the titular rescue. However, she must buck her family's wariness of cross-species relations and her own anxiety, which manifests as metaphorical mental "brambles."... Read More

Author/narrator Lucy Strange dazzles with her dynamic performance. Utilizing various English accents and tones, she delivers this story with impressive breadth. Six sisters live on a farm with their bitter father and loving granny. Their father, fearing the curse of the six sisters, betroths his oldest daughter, Grace. Not wanting to marry, Grace runs away. Willa, the second... Read More

Narrator Abigail Reno creates an energetic voice for 8-year-old genius Angeline, who despite her young age is entering the sixth grade. Her new teacher, Mrs. Hardlick, gives her a hard time, and she struggles to fit in with her classmates. Her only respite from class is her friendship with fifth-grader Gary and his teacher, Miss Turbone. Reno captures Angeline's frustration and... Read More

Sandy Rustin earned an Earphones Award for her narration of Marissa Moss's WOMAN WHO SPLIT THE ATOM, about the physicist Lise Meitner. Now she returns to lend her vocal talents to Moss's follow-up, a biography of another brilliant woman whose contributions have been overlooked. Rustin's clear, musical voice introduces listeners to Elizebeth Smith Friedman, who, with her... Read More

This humble and wonderful performance by Hope Newhouse will engage a wide audience. Two Sophies are best friends; one is an elementary school student, and the other is an aging woman who is beginning her struggle with memory loss. When home-care options are weighed, younger Sophie listens to the many memories of elder Sophie. Newhouse's ability to transform her narration to... Read More

This contemporary middle-grade fairy tale is given a lively performance by Jeanette Illidge. Chloe returns home during an intense storm to find her house suddenly filled with fairy-tale creatures. They enlist Chloe and her father's help to locate a magical portal back to their home. Chloe and her dad need to work out their differences as they embark on the quest. Illidge is... Read More

In this middle-grade novel set in 1985, Stevie is on summer tour with a lip-syncing group. Jorjeana Marie is immediately likable as the youthful narrator of Stevie's first-person account. Marie shows Stevie's many sides with ease--stumbling and nervous around her crush, decisive and assured when her brother's epilepsy becomes an issue, and, finally, happily confident after a... Read More

Listeners will find an honest coming-of-age story in this vivid performance by Krysta Gonzales. Twelve-year-old Winnie is staying at her grandmother's in New York City for the summer. She has always known she's a lesbian, but she still hides it from her family, and that makes her plans to attend Pride celebrations a lot harder. Gonzales's performance is focused heavily on... Read More

Caitlin Kinnunen's youthful voice increases sympathy for vulnerable 12-year-old Fern, who wants to return to The Ranch, a cult community that is the only home she can remember. Fern's mother woke her in the middle of the night and took her to a new home a coast away. Kinnunen's narration reflects Fern's confusion, anger, and determination to return to The Ranch. She also... Read More